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Abstract:

Methods and program products for providing heart rate information are
disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for providing heart rate
information about a user includes the steps of defining a plurality of
heart rate zones as ranges of percentages of a maximum heart rate of the
user, determining upper and lower limits for said heart rate zones based
on the maximum heart rate of the user, associating a color with each of
said heart rate zones, receiving heart rate information from the user,
and initiating a graphical display in response to receiving heart rate
information from the user, wherein a color of a portion of the graphical
display corresponds with the color associated with one of said heart rate
zones.

Claims:

1. A method for providing heart rate information about a user comprising:
defining a plurality of heart rate zones as ranges of percentages of a
maximum heart rate of the user; determining upper and lower limits for
said heart rate zones based on the maximum heart rate of the user;
associating a color with each of said heart rate zones; receiving heart
rate information from the user; and initiating a graphical display in
response to receiving heart rate information from the user, wherein a
color of a portion of the graphical display corresponds with the color
associated with one of said heart rate zones.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the heart rate information is measured
by a portable heart rate sensor during a physical activity conducted by
the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining
which of said heart rate zones the user's instantaneous heart rate falls
within based on said upper and lower limits.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of adjusting said
upper and lower limits for said heart rate zones based on user
information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user information includes a
performance parameter of the user measured while the user was engaged in
a physical activity.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the user information includes responses
from the user to questions posed to the user after the user has completed
a physical activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the percentage ranges of all of the
zones are not equal to one another.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of heart rate zones are
further defined based on the peak heart rate and the ventilation
threshold heart rate of the user.

9. A method for providing heart rate information about a user during
monitored activities comprising: defining a plurality of heart rate
zones, wherein each heart rate zone is associated with a different color;
receiving first heart rate information related to a first time period,
wherein the first heart rate information comprises the amount of time the
user's heart rate fell in each heart rate zone during monitored
activities during the first time period; and initiating a graphical
display based on the first heart rate information, wherein the graphical
display indicates the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate
fell in different heart rate zones during monitored activities during the
first time period by displaying graphical elements whose colors are
associated with the different heart rate zones and whose areas are
proportional to the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate
fell in the different heart rate zones during monitored activities during
the first time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time period is single day.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time period is single week.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the heart rate information includes
information about the user's heart rate during a plurality of monitored
activities conducted during the first time period.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical elements displayed are
displayed adjacent to one another as a continuous bar whose total area is
proportional to the total monitored time during the first time period.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising: receiving second heart rate
information related to a second time period, wherein the second heart
rate information comprises the amount of time the user's heart rate fell
in each heart rate zone during monitored activities during the second
time period; and initiating a graphical display based on the second heart
rate information, wherein the graphical display indicates the relative
amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in different heart rate
zones during monitored activities during the second time period by
displaying graphical elements whose colors are associated with the
different heart rate zones and whose areas are proportional to the
relative amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in the different
heart rate zones during monitored activities during the second time
period.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first time period is a first week
and wherein the second time period is a second week, the method further
comprising: receiving a request for a display of graphical elements are
that indicative of the user's heart rate during individual days of the
first week; and displaying graphical elements that are indicative of the
user's heart rate during individual days of the first week.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first time period is a first day
and wherein the second time period is a second day, the method further
comprising: receiving a request for a display of graphical elements are
that indicative of the user's heart rate during an individual monitored
activity of the first day; and displaying graphical elements that are
indicative of the user's heart rate during an individual monitored
activity of the first day.

17. A tangible computer program product comprising a non-transitory
computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon
for causing at least one processor to: define a plurality of heart rate
zones, wherein each heart rate zone is associated with a different color;
receive first heart rate information related to a first time period,
wherein the first heart rate information comprises the amount of time the
user's heart rate fell in each heart rate zone during monitored
activities during the first time period; and initiate a graphical display
based on the first heart rate information, wherein the graphical display
indicates the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in
different heart rate zones during monitored activities during the first
time period by displaying graphical elements whose colors are associated
with the different heart rate zones and whose areas are proportional to
the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in the
different heart rate zones during monitored activities during the first
time period.

18. The tangible computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first
time period is single day.

19. The tangible computer program product of claim 17, wherein the first
time period is single week.

20. The tangible computer program product of claim 17, wherein the heart
rate information includes information about the user's heart rate during
a plurality of monitored activities conducted during the first time
period.

21. The tangible computer program product of claim 17, wherein the
graphical elements displayed are displayed adjacent to one another as a
continuous bar whose total area is proportional to the total monitored
time during the first time period.

22. The tangible computer program product of claim 17, wherein the
computer readable medium further has computer program logic for causing
at least one processor to: receive second heart rate information related
to a second time period, wherein the second heart rate information
comprises the amount of time the user's heart rate fell in each heart
rate zone during monitored activities during the second time period; and
initiate a graphical display based on the second heart rate information,
wherein the graphical display indicates the relative amount of time that
the user's heart rate fell in different heart rate zones during monitored
activities during the second time period by displaying graphical elements
whose colors are associated with the different heart rate zones and whose
areas are proportional to the relative amount of time that the user's
heart rate fell in the different heart rate zones during monitored
activities during the second time period.

23. The tangible computer program product of claim 22, wherein the first
time period is a first week and wherein the second time period is a
second week, and wherein the computer readable medium further has
computer program logic for causing at least one processor to: receive a
request for a display of graphical elements are that indicative of the
user's heart rate during individual days of the first week; and display
graphical elements that are indicative of the user's heart rate during
individual days of the first week.

24. The tangible computer program product of claim 22, wherein the first
time period is a first day and wherein the second time period is a second
day, and wherein the computer readable medium further has computer
program logic for causing at least one processor to: receive a request
for a display of graphical elements are that indicative of the user's
heart rate during an individual monitored activity of the first day; and
display graphical elements that are indicative of the user's heart rate
during an individual monitored activity of the first day.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/468,025, filed May 18, 2009. This application is also related to
commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/467,944, filed May 18,
2009, and to commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/467,948,
filed May 18, 2009. Each of the above-mentioned references is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to fitness monitoring
services. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and
program products for providing heart rate information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Exercise is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and
individual well-being. Accordingly, many individuals want to participate
in an exercise program. The most successful exercise programs are ones
tailored to a fitness level of an individual and aimed at assisting the
individual to achieve one or more specific fitness or exercise goals.

[0004] Sports trainers, as well as other exercise and fitness
professionals, are available to assist individuals in developing exercise
programs appropriate for their individual fitness levels and their
specific fitness or exercise goals. Hiring such professionals, however,
can be expensive. Furthermore, the busy schedules of many individuals
make it difficult for these individuals to set aside time to meet with an
exercise and fitness professional on a routine basis. Thus, many
individuals forego using the services of exercise and fitness
professionals, and they never achieve the benefits that can be obtained
from an exercise program tailored, for example, to one's fitness level.

[0005] Technology has resulted in the development of systems capable of
transferring performance information obtained from a user during a
workout to a remote computer for further analysis. These systems often
provide a user interface that allows the user to review their past
performance data.

[0006] What is needed are improved program products, methods, and systems
for providing fitness monitoring services that will allow athletes to,
among other thing, better use data generated from past performances to
gauge their improvement, to set goals for the future, to share their
performance data with others, to stay motivated, and/or to enable them to
exercise at intensities appropriate for their current fitness level and
goals.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for
providing heart rate information about a user that includes the steps of
defining a plurality of heart rate zones as ranges of percentages of a
maximum heart rate of the user; determining upper and lower limits for
said heart rate zones based on the maximum heart rate of the user;
associating a color with each of said heart rate zones; receiving heart
rate information from the user; and initiating a graphical display in
response to receiving heart rate information from the user, wherein a
color of a portion of the graphical display corresponds with the color
associated with one of said heart rate zones.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention also relate to a method for
providing heart rate information about a user during monitored activities
that includes the steps of: defining a plurality of heart rate zones,
wherein each heart rate zone is associated with a different color;
receiving first heart rate information related to a first time period,
wherein the first heart rate information comprises the amount of time the
user's heart rate fell in each heart rate zone during monitored
activities during the first time period; and initiating a graphical
display based on the first heart rate information, wherein the graphical
display indicates the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate
fell in different heart rate zones during monitored activities during the
first time period by displaying graphical elements whose colors are
associated with the different heart rate zones and whose areas are
proportional to the relative amount of time that the user's heart rate
fell in the different heart rate zones during monitored activities during
the first time period.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention further relate to a tangible
computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable
medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for causing at
least one processor to: define a plurality of heart rate zones, wherein
each heart rate zone is associated with a different color; receive first
heart rate information related to a first time period, wherein the first
heart rate information comprises the amount of time the user's heart rate
fell in each heart rate zone during monitored activities during the first
time period; and initiate a graphical display based on the first heart
rate information, wherein the graphical display indicates the relative
amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in different heart rate
zones during monitored activities during the first time period by
displaying graphical elements whose colors are associated with the
different heart rate zones and whose areas are proportional to the
relative amount of time that the user's heart rate fell in the different
heart rate zones during monitored activities during the first time
period.

[0010] Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the present
invention, as well as the structure and operation of the various
embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with
reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

[0011] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a
part of the specification, illustrate the present invention by way of
example, and not by way of limitation, and, together with the
description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and
to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the
invention.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a fitness monitoring system according
to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an athlete communicating with a
computer and/or a server.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary software configuration of
a server according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 4 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0016] FIG. 5 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0017] FIG. 6 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0018] FIG. 7 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a table that illustrates heart rate zone ranges according
to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 9 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of the
present invention.

[0021] FIG. 10 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 11 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0023] FIG. 12 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 13 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 14 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0026] FIG. 15 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0027] FIG. 16 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 17 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 18 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 19 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 20 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 21 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 22 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 23 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 24 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 25 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 26 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 27 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 28 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 29 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 30 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 31 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 32 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0044] FIG. 33 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0045] FIG. 34 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0046] FIG. 35 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0047] FIG. 36 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 37 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0049] FIG. 38 is a diagram that illustrates the process of making zone
adjustments based on feedback according to an embodiment of the present
invention.

[0050] FIG. 39 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0051] FIG. 40 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 41 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 42 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0054] FIG. 43 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0055] FIG. 44 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0056] FIG. 45 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0057] FIG. 46 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

[0058] FIG. 47 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0059] The present invention will now be described in detail with
reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. References to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "an example
embodiment", etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a
particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment
may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or
characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to
the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or
characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is
submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to
affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with
other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

[0060] The program products, methods, and systems of the present invention
may be used to provide fitness monitoring services to athletes 100.
Athletes 100 who utilize embodiments of the present invention may
actively participate in a variety of physical activities including, but
not limited to, running, walking, biking, skating, swimming, skiing,
performing aerobic exercises, weight lifting, or participating in various
individual or team sports. Accordingly, terms such as, for example,
"athlete," "runner," "exercising individual," and "user" may be referred
to herein interchangeably.

[0061] Furthermore, the term "user" may also be used herein to refer to a
user other than the athlete 100 conducting the physical activities of
interest. In other words, as described in further detail below, other
users besides the athlete user, such as coaches or friends may be able to
interact with the system of the present invention.

[0063] In an embodiment, performance parameters may also include mental or
emotional parameters such as, for example, stress level or motivation
level. Mental and emotional parameters may be measured directly or
indirectly either through posing questions to the athlete 100 or by
measuring things such as, for example, trunk angle or foot strike
characteristics while running.

[0064] The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may be a device such as,
for example, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a music file
player (e.g. and MP3 player), an intelligent article for wearing (e.g. a
fitness monitoring garment, wrist band, or watch), a dongle (e.g. a small
hardware device that protects software) that includes a fitness
monitoring mode, a dedicated portable fitness monitoring device 102, or a
non-dedicated portable fitness monitoring device 102, such as, for
example, the devices disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/467,944.

[0065] The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may communicate with one
or more sensors 104 for detecting the performance parameters. The sensors
104 may be in wired or wireless communication with the portable fitness
monitoring device 102. In one embodiment of the present invention, as
shown in FIG. 1, a sensor 104 for detecting heart rate is coupled to the
athlete's 100 chest, while a sensor 104 for detecting speed is coupled to
the athlete's 100 shoe. Other sensors 104 including, but not limited to,
an accelerometer, a pedometer, a pulsimeter, a thermometer, or other
sensor 104 for detecting a user 100 performance parameter may be used.
The portable monitoring device 102 and the one or more sensors 104 may
communicate using known protocols, including, but not limited to, ANT and
ANT+, by Dynastream Innovations, Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth LET, or
BlueRobin. Other known communication protocols may be used.

[0066] The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may also communicate
with one or more portable displays 106. The portable displays 106 may be
in wired or wireless communication with the portable fitness monitoring
device 102. The portable displays 106 may be adapted to convey
information to the athlete 100 in a variety of ways such as, for example,
visually, audibly, or tactilely (e.g. via a vibrating element), either
alone or in combination. In an embodiment of the present invention, as
shown in FIG. 1, a separate audible display 106 (e.g. headphones) and a
separate visual display 106 (e.g. a wrist band) are provided. In other
embodiments, visual, audible, and/or tactile displays 106 may be included
as physically separate elements, or one or more of these elements may be
integrated into a single physical display device 106. Tactile displays
106 may include means for vibrating the display 106, such as, for
example, a piezoelectric actuator, for providing tactile sensory output
to the athlete 100. In some embodiments, the portable display 106 may be
integral with the portable fitness monitoring device 102.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, information
may be communicated between an athlete 100 equipped with a portable
fitness monitoring device 102 and one or more external elements. These
external elements may include, for example, a personal computer 114, a
network 110, and/or a server 112. In one embodiment, personal computer
114 and server 112 may be a single component.

[0068] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the athlete 100 equipped
with a portable fitness monitoring device 102 may communicate with a
personal computer 114 using wired or wireless communications. As will be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, wired communication
between the portable fitness monitoring device 102 and the personal
computer 114 may be achieved, for example, by placing the portable
fitness monitoring device 102 in a docking unit that is attached to the
personal computer 114 using a communications wire plugged into a
communications port of the personal computer 114.

[0069] In another embodiment, wired communication between the portable
fitness monitoring device 102 and the personal computer 114 may be
achieved, for example, by connecting a cable between the portable fitness
monitoring device 102 and the computer 114. A computer input/output of
the portable fitness monitoring device 102 and a communications port of
the computer 114 may include USB ports. The cable connecting the portable
fitness monitoring device 102 and the computer 114 may be a USB cable
with suitable USB plugs including, but not limited to, USB-A or USB-B
regular, mini, or micro plugs.

[0070] Wireless communication between the portable fitness monitoring
device 102 and the personal computer 114 may be achieved, for example, by
way of a wireless wide area network (WWAN--such as, for example, the
Internet), a wireless local area network (WLAN), or a wireless personal
area network (WPAN) (collectively, wireless area networks or WANs). As is
well known to those skilled in the art, there are a number of known
standard and proprietary protocols that are suitable for implementing
WANs (e.g. TCP/IP, IEEE 802.16, and Bluetooth). Accordingly, the present
invention is not limited to using any particular protocol to communicate
between the portable fitness monitoring device 102 and the various
external elements of the fitness monitoring service of the present
invention.

[0071] In one embodiment, the portable fitness monitoring device 102 may
communicate with a WWAN communications system such as that employed by
mobile telephones. For example, a WWAN communication system may include a
plurality of geographically distributed communication towers and base
station systems. Communication towers may include one or more antennae
supporting long range two-way radio frequency communication wireless
devices, such as the portable fitness monitoring device 102. The radio
frequency communication between antennae and the portable fitness
monitoring device 102 may utilize radio frequency signals conforming to
any known or future developed wireless protocol, for example, CDMA, GSM,
EDGE, 3G, IEEE 802.x (e.g., IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX)), etc. The information
transmitted over-the-air by the base station systems and the cellular
communication towers to the portable fitness monitoring device 102 may be
further transmitted to or received from one or more additional
circuit-switched or packet-switched communication networks, including,
for example, the Internet.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, communication may also occur between the
personal computer 114 and a server 112 via a network 110. In an
embodiment, the network 110 is the Internet. The Internet is a worldwide
collection of servers, routers, switches and transmission lines that
employ the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) to communicate data. As indicated
above, the Internet may also be employed for communication between the
portable fitness monitoring device 102 and the personal computer 114. In
one embodiment of the present invention, information may be directly
communicated between the portable fitness monitoring device 102 and the
server 112 via the network 110, thus bypassing the personal computer 114.

[0073] According to embodiments of the fitness monitoring service of the
present invention, a wide variety of information may be communicated
between any of the athlete 100, the personal fitness monitoring device
102, the personal computer 114, the network 110, and the server 112. Such
information may include, for example, performance parameters, training
advice, training plans, calendar data, route information, music, videos,
text, images, voice communications, settings, software, and firmware.

[0074] Communication among the various elements of the present invention
may occur before a physical activity is commenced, after a physical
activity has been completed, and/or in real time during the physical
activity. In addition, the interaction between, for example, the personal
fitness monitoring device 102 and the personal computer 114, and the
interaction between the personal computer 114 and the server 112 may
occur at different times.

[0075] Information communicated to and stored by the server 112 may be
accessible to the athlete 100 at a later time via the network 110. For
example, the athlete could access post-activity performance information
communicated to the server 112 from their personal fitness monitoring
device 102 at a later time from their personal computer. In another
embodiment of the present invention, a third party (e.g. a trainer,
coach, friend, or family member) stationed at a personal computer 114 may
be able to access real-time or historical performance information
regarding the athlete's performance via the server 112 over the network
110.

[0076] FIG. 3 is a diagram of an exemplary software configuration of
server 112. The application software of server 112 includes a number of
different modules capable of providing fitness monitoring services to
athletes 100. In one embodiment of the present invention, these modules
include a start module 200, and plan module 300, a schedule module 400, a
track module 500, a support module 600, a library module 700, and a forum
module 800. Each module supports one or more graphical user interfaces
(GUIs) capable of being presented to users at one or more remote personal
computers 114.

[0077] As is known by those of skill in the art, a GUI may use a
combination of technologies and devices to provide a platform the user
100 can interact with via a computer 114. A GUI may offer, for example,
graphical elements, visual indicators, and text to represent information
and actions available to the user 100. Graphical elements may include,
for example, windows, menus, radio buttons, check boxes, and icons. The
user 100 may use a physical input device, such as a mouse, to control the
position of a cursor 206 on their computer 114 screen.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative or
additional modules and sub-modules may be implemented within the server
112 system in order to provide or extend the described or additional
functionalities. For example, the software configuration of server 112
may include an operating system, which may be one of the commercially
available operating systems such as, for example, Windows, UNIX, LINUX,
Mac OSX, or AIX. The operating system may also have an associated
application programming interface through which middleware and
application programs may access the services of the operating system. In
addition, a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) server may run on top of
the operating system. As is well known in the art, HTTP server may
communicate data over the Internet using HTTP.

[0079] According to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4
illustrates a GUI window presented by start module 200 to a user of a
remote personal computer 114 system.

[0080] As illustrated by FIGS. 4-7, 9-37, and 39-47, the various modules
of the fitness monitoring service of the present invention may support
GUIs through which a user 100 can interact with the fitness monitoring
service. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, in one
embodiment the GUIs may appear as webpages provided by a server 112 via a
website that may be accessible to the user over the Internet 110 using a
web browser on their computer 114. In other embodiments, the GUIs may be
generated by a processor based only on information stored on the personal
computer 114, a CD-ROM, a mobile phone, or other computer readable media
accessible locally to the user 100. In embodiments of the present
invention, users 100 can, among other things, use data generated from
past performances to gauge their improvement, set goals for the future,
share their performance data with others, and/or assist themselves in
exercising at intensities appropriate for their current fitness level and
goals.

[0081] With reference to FIG. 4, a menu bar 204 may be present near one of
the edges of a GUI window of the present invention. The menu bar 204 may
include several icons or indicia corresponding to the start 200, plan
300, schedule 400, track 500, support 600, library 700, and forum 800
modules. In one embodiment, the menu bar 204 may be present on every GUI
page presented to the user by the server. After logging in to the server
112, the user 100 may be able to navigate to areas of the website
supported by different modules by selecting their corresponding icons
with a cursor 206. Additional icons corresponding to sub-modules or
program wizards associated with a particular module may pop up or
otherwise be displayed to the user 100 if the user 100 selects or hovers
the cursor 206 over a module icon.

[0082] In order to access the features of embodiments of the present
invention, a user 100 stationed at a remote personal computer 114 may log
into the server 112 via the interne 110. As is well known to those
skilled in the art, the login process, which may be controlled by a log
in wizard 202 run by start module 200, typically includes the entry by
the remote user 100 of a login ID and password or other authentication
information to the server 112, which then authenticates the identity of
the user 100 by reference to a user database or the like. Embodiments of
the fitness monitoring services of the present invention may be offered
to a plurality of athletes 100 or other users 100 forming a user
community, may be restricted to users 100 that have been issued login IDs
and passwords for accessing the server 112, and/or may further be offered
in exchange for a subscription fee.

[0083] Following the preliminary authentication process via the log in
wizard 202, as illustrated in FIG. 5, a social networking wizard 208 run
by the start module 200 may invite the user to link their fitness
monitoring account to a social networking site, such as, for example,
Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, LinkedIn, or the like. As
explained in further detail below, linking to a social networking site
may provide the user 100 with added benefits and features. If the user
declines the initial opportunity to link to a social networking site,
they may be able to create such a link at a later time. Upon completion
of the social networking wizard 208, start module 200 may present a home
page, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0084] In an embodiment, the user 100 stationed at a remote personal
computer 114 may alternatively choose to interact with the server 112 via
a software widget. As is known by those of skill in the art, a software
widget is a software application including portable code intended for one
or more different software platforms. The term "software widget" implies
that either the application, user interface, or both, may be relatively
simple and easy to use, as exemplified by a desk accessory or applet.

[0085] In one embodiment, the software widget may be a desktop widget that
is a specialized GUI widget intended to run on a computer desktop. In
another embodiment, the software widget may be a mobile widget that can
operate on mobile devices (e.g. smart phones). The widget may present a
simplified version of the user interfaces explained in further detail
herein, and may provide alternative means for the user to log in to the
server 112. The widget may allow the user to review summary information
about their past performance, and may allow the user to view, for
example, a calendar of upcoming workouts, as described in further detail
below.

[0086] From the home page, the user 100 may be able to navigate to
different modules, sub-modules, or wizards by selecting their
corresponding icons from the menu bar 204 with the cursor 206. In one
embodiment, by hovering the cursor 206 over the start module 200 icon,
the user 100 may be able to select an introductory sub-module 210, an
equipment sub-module 212, or a device download sub-module 214.

[0087] FIG. 7 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
introductory sub-module 210. The introductory page may contain general
information about the fitness monitoring system of the present invention,
including a brief description of the system, its intended users, and the
potential benefits available to those users.

[0088] For example, the introductory page may contain information about
the planning, scheduling, and tracking capabilities of the fitness
monitoring system. In one embodiment of the present invention, some
aspects of the planning, scheduling, and tracking functions may be tied
to a color-coded heart rate zone system. In other embodiments, some
aspects of the planning, scheduling, and tracking functions may be tied
to color-coded zone systems based on zones of other parameters including,
but not limited to, speed, pace, stride rate, calories, respiration rate,
blood oxygen level, blood flow, hydration status, or body temperature. A
graphical representation and a brief description of such a color-coded
system may be provided on the introductory page and in personal settings,
as illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0089] In an embodiment of the present invention, the color of certain
graphical information provided by the server 112 via the various GUIs
presented may be dictated by detected or targeted heart rate information.
Various modules of the fitness monitoring service of the present
invention may be programmed with algorithms for establishing one or more
heart rate ranges or "zones." Each zone may be associated with a
particular color. Zones may be defined, for example, as ranges of
percentages of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate. Accordingly, each
zone may be associated with a particular level of effort.

[0090] FIG. 8 is an exemplary illustration of the zone definitions
according to one embodiment of the present invention. An energy zone,
ranging from 65% to 75% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate, is
associated with the color blue. An endurance zone, ranging from 75% to
85% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate, is associated with the color
green. A strength zone, ranging from 85% to 90% of an athlete's 100
maximum heart rate, is associated with the color yellow. Finally, a power
zone, ranging from 90% to 95% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate, is
associated with the color red. These ranges and color combinations are
exemplary only; numerous other ranges and/or colors could be used.

[0091] In an embodiment, an additional zone (for example, a pink zone) may
also be provided that overlaps the ranges of the blue, green, and yellow
zones. The pink zone may primarily be used for setting intensity goals
for beginners. In a further embodiment, the colors may change in
character from relatively light or dim colors to relatively dark or
intense colors as values associated with the zone colors increase from
the lower to upper limits of the zone.

[0092] The zones may be assigned based on predetermined fitness goals. For
example, in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the energy zone (blue) may be
associated with a heart rate range that allows an athlete 100 to build
their aerobic base. The endurance zone (green) may be associated with a
heart rate range that allows an athlete 100 to build cardiovascular
strength and burn calories. The strength zone (yellow) may be associated
with a heart rate range that allows an athlete 100 to improve their
aerobic threshold, endurance, and metabolism. The power zone (red) may be
associated with a heart rate range that allows an athlete 100 to improve
their anerobic threshold, endurance, and metabolism.

[0093] For planning purposes, that zones can be presented to the user 100
as an indication of the difficulty of a particular workout. For
monitoring and tracking purposes, the zones may be established for a
particular user 100 based on a maximum heart rate. An athlete's 100
maximum heart rate may not be an indication of their fitness level, it
usually may not change significantly with training, and it may be set by
the athlete's 100 genetics. An athlete's 100 maximum heart rate can be
provided to the fitness monitoring service of the present invention in a
number of ways.

[0094] Returning to the functionality of the start module 200, FIG. 9 is
an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the equipment sub-module
212. The equipment page may contain an overview of the different pieces
of equipment that are compatible with the fitness monitoring system of
the present invention. Such pieces of equipment may include, for example,
mobile fitness phones, dedicated portable fitness monitoring devices,
non-dedicated portable fitness monitoring devices, sports mode-enabled
MP3 players, sports mode-enabled dongles, sports watches, display
devices, exercise machines in fitness centers, and sensors (e.g.
pedometers or heart rate sensors). A broad overview of each piece of
equipment and/or more detailed specifications may be provided. A table or
interactive equipment wizard 216 may further be provided to help the
athlete 100 select the equipment that best suits the athlete's 100 needs
and fitness goals.

[0095] The equipment wizard 216 may pose a series of questions to the
athlete 100 or the athlete's 100 coach such as, for example, "What are
your personal fitness goals?", "Do you already have a dedicated portable
fitness monitoring device?", "Do you want to receive performance feedback
and/or coaching during your activity?", "Do you want to log performance
data during your activity?", "Would you like to be able to listen to
music during your activity?", "Would you like to monitor your heart
rate?", "Would you like to monitor your speed?", "Would you like to use
GPS-enabled features?", and "Would you like to be able to transmit and
receive data to and from your device in real-time?". Other interactive
questions for determining and/or fulfilling the needs of the user 100 may
be included.

[0096] The equipment page provided by the equipment sub-module 212 may
further prompt or allow user's 100 to purchase the equipment through the
equipment page, may provide links to other websites where the user 100
could purchase the equipment, and/or may provide information about
physical retail outlets where the user 100 could purchase the equipment.

[0097] FIG. 10 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
device download sub-module 214. The device download page may contain
software and firmware downloads and or updates for users 100. For
example, a synchronizer program could be downloaded to a user's 100
personal computer 114 that could manage communications between the
portable fitness monitoring device 102 and the personal computer 114. The
user 100 could activate the synchronizer program while using their
personal computer 114, and utilize it to transfer software and firmware
updates to the portable fitness monitoring device 102 or to update
settings or options on the portable fitness monitoring device 102. Like
the application software of the server 112, the synchronizer program
running on the user's 100 personal computer 114 could also support one or
more GUIs capable of being presented to the user 100 at the computer 114.
Thus, the user 100 may be able to, among other things, update settings or
options on the portable fitness monitoring device 102 without being
connected to the server 112 via the network 110. In embodiments of the
present invention, portable fitness monitoring device 102 settings and
options may also be adjustable directly via the portable fitness
monitoring device 102 itself, depending on its particular configuration.

[0098] As indicated above, in embodiments of the present invention, the
menu bar 204 may be present on every GUI page presented to the user by
the server 112. Accordingly, at any time, the user 100 may be able to
navigate to portions of the website supported by different modules,
sub-modules, or wizards by selecting their corresponding icons from the
menu bar 204 with the cursor 206. In one embodiment, the user 100 may be
able to select an icon corresponding to the plan module 300 from the menu
bar 204.

[0099] FIG. 11 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
plan module 300. From the main plan module page, the user 100 may be able
to select from one of a plurality of icons corresponding to training
plans. Additional icons corresponding to training sub-plans may pop up or
otherwise be displayed to the user 100 if the user 100 selects or hovers
the cursor 206 over a training plan icon.

[0100] In one embodiment of the present invention, from the main plan
page, the plan module 300 may enable the user 100 to select training plan
icons with the cursor 206 associated with various training plan
sub-modules, such as, for example, a Learn to Run sub-module 302, a Be
Fit sub-module 304, a Run a Race sub-module 306, a De-Stress sub-module
308, a Lose Weight sub-module 310, and a Finish Faster sub-module 312.

[0101] FIGS. 12-17 are exemplary GUI windows that may be displayed by the
various plan module 300 sub-modules 302-312. Each plan module 300
sub-module may be associated with a different training plan having a
different intended athlete user 100 audience and different goals. For
example, the Learn to Run sub-module 302 may provide a plan where the
beginner athlete 100 walks and runs at relatively easy paces in order to
build their fitness base. An athlete 100 utilizing the Learn to Run
program may be encouraged to master the basics of heart rate training,
improve their running form, and/or learn to enjoy running.

[0102] The Be Fit sub-module 304 may provide a plan where the athlete 100
runs at slightly faster paces in order to improve their overall physical
fitness. An athlete 100 utilizing the Be Fit program may be encouraged
to, for example, increase their cardiovascular capacity and conduct
interval training (i.e. sequentially running at different intensities for
different periods of time or for different distances).

[0103] One or more of the plan module 300 sub-modules may also be designed
for athletes 100 who are interested in physical activities besides--or in
addition to--running. For example, the Be Fit sub-module 304 may also
provide a plan where the athlete 100 works out in a gym using various
machines and pieces of stationary exercise equipment to improve their
overall physical fitness. An athlete 100 utilizing the Be Fit program may
be encouraged to, for example, increase their cardiovascular capacity and
conduct interval training on various machines and pieces of stationary
exercise equipment.

[0104] The Run a Race sub-module 306 may provide a plan for athletes 100
interested in preparing for a race. In one embodiment of the invention,
the Run a Race sub-module 306 may provide a plurality of different plans
depending on the distance of the race the athlete 100 is planning to
participate in. Plans may be provided, for example, for 5K, 10K, 1/2
marathon, and full marathon races. An athlete 100 utilizing one of the
Run a Race programs may be encouraged to, for example, conduct interval
or other speed work training, take long runs and recovery runs, and
generally build their endurance and aerobic capacity so that they are
able to successfully complete their race.

[0105] The De-Stress sub-module 308 may provide a plan where the user's
100 primary goal may be to reduce their overall stress, achieve
relaxation, and increase energy. A user 100 participating in the
De-Stress program may, for example, be guided through a series of
workouts of varying intensities that are regularly scheduled, but of
relatively short duration, so that the user 100 is able to de-stress on a
regular basis yet will still be able to find time in their schedule to
complete their workouts.

[0106] The Lose Weight sub-module 310 may provide a plan for users 100
interested in burning calories, reducing body fat, increasing energy, and
improving overall health through aerobic workouts. Again, the particular
physical activities performed by the user 100 are not limited. A user 100
participating in the Lose Weight program may, for example, be guided
through a consistent workout schedule that starts at a relatively easy
level to build the user's 100 athletic base and establish a regular
routine, and that may gradually progress to more difficult workouts.

[0107] Like the Run a Race sub-module 306, the Finish Faster sub-module
312 may provide a plan for athletes 100 interested in preparing for a
race. However, the finish faster module 312 may be more appropriate for
athletes 100 who have significant race experience and are looking to
improve upon their past race times. An athlete 100 participating in the
Finish Faster program may be encouraged to conduct interval training and
speed work, and push themselves to the limit by conducting longer and
more intense workouts.

[0108] In another embodiment of the present invention, a Recover
sub-module may provide a plan for users who need to recover from a
difficult race (e.g. a marathon), from an injury, or from any other
physically, mentally, or emotionally taxing event. An athlete 100
participating in the Recover program may be given different goals
depending on the specific situation. Athletes 100 recovering from a
difficult race may only need a short series of relatively easy recovery
runs to get their legs back for resumed training. Athletes recovering
from an injury may need a much longer recovery period, depending on the
severity of the injury. Athletes recovering from mentally or emotionally
taxing events may be provided with a variety of goals, some of which may
be similar to those provided in a De-Stress plan.

[0109] FIGS. 12-17 are exemplary GUI windows that may be displayed by the
various plan module 300 sub-modules 302-312. Each plan sub-module page
may include a description of the plan, including its intended athletic
users 100 and its goals. Each plan sub-module page may further include a
level selector 314 and a plan preview 316. The particular information
displayed by the plan preview 316 may depend on a level selected via the
level selector 314.

[0110] When considering the selection of a particular training plan, the
associated plan sub-module may allow the user 100 to select from a
plurality of difficulty levels for their prospective program using the
level selector 314. The level selector 314 may be an icon, a drop down
menu, a slider, or any other GUI input device known in the art. In one
embodiment, the user 100 may be able to choose from one of seven
difficulty levels, where level 1 is the easiest and level 7 is the most
difficult level.

[0111] In another embodiment, the user's 100 difficulty level options may
be limited based on the particular training plan sub-module selected. For
example, as illustrated in FIG. 12, the Learn to Run sub-module 302 may
only be capable of presenting levels 1 through 3. Because a user 100 who
is just learning to run or begin an exercising is not likely to desire a
program of high difficulty, such a limitation may be appropriate. On the
other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the Finish Faster sub-module 312
may only be capable of presenting levels 6 and 7. Because a user 100 who
has participated in several competitive races before has likely achieved
a high level of physical fitness, such a limitation may also be
appropriate.

[0112] In one embodiment, the user's 100 difficulty level options may be
limited based on the particular training plan sub-module selected because
of certain filters in place. In an embodiment, the user 100 may be able
to deactivate or modify these filters in order to be able to choose from
a wider variety of levels for a given plan. Alternatively, such filters
may not be present, and a user 100 may be free to chose any level for any
plan.

[0113] Once a difficulty level for a prospective plan has been selected
via level selector 314, the particular training plan sub-module provides
the plan preview 316 for the plan. The plan preview 316 may include a
description of what to expect from the plan, a description of the
benefits of the plan, and/or a sample schedule. The plan description may
make reference to the particular color-coded heart rate zones that a user
100 may be prompted to exercise at as part of that plan. As illustrated
in FIGS. 12-17, the sample schedule may include an indication of the
number of total workouts in the plan, the number of workouts per week,
and the total number of weeks.

[0114] The training plan sub-module may also provide a sample workout list
318 for a given plan. The user 100 may access the sample workout list 318
by selecting an appropriate icon with their cursor 206. In one
embodiment, the icon may be a bar graph representing the relative
durations and intensities of the individual workouts of the plan. The
durations of the individual workouts may be proportional to the length of
the bars displayed, while the intensities of the individual workouts may
be indicated by a color corresponding to the heart rate zone at which the
user 100 will be instructed to exercise. FIG. 18 shows an exemplary GUI
pop-up window providing the sample workout list 318 provided by the Run a
Race sub-module 306 for a user 100 who has selected a level 4 10K race
program.

[0115] In one embodiment, for each workout, the list 318 provides the
workout number in the series (e.g. 40 of 51), a zone bar indicator 320,
the workout duration, calories, or distance targeted (e.g. 28 minutes,
400 calories, or 5 kilometers), and a coaching tip. The zone bar
indicator 320 may communicate several pieces of information. It may
indicate the number of intervals to be performed. It may also indicate
the relative intensities of each interval to be performed, based on a
target heart rate zone, as indicated by a color. For example, as
illustrated in FIG. 18, workout number 41 consists of one time interval
of blue training (corresponding to, for example, an energy zone ranging
from 65% to 75% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate). Workout 42
consists of three time intervals of training--a long interval of green
training (corresponding to, for example, an endurance zone ranging from
75% to 85% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate) preceded and followed
by short intervals of blue training. Workout 43 consists of four time
intervals of training, including two blue intervals, a green interval,
and a yellow interval (corresponding to, for example, a strength zone,
ranging from 85% to 90% of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate). In this
way, the athlete 100 can gauge the relative level of difficulty and
suitability of a prospective training plan by examining the zone bar
indicators 320 associated with the individual workouts making up a
prospective plan.

[0116] The coaching notes included in the workout list 318 may provide
motivation, point out a particular area of focus, or otherwise provide
guidance to the athlete 100 related to the ultimate goal of their
particular plan.

[0117] After determining which plan best suits their needs, the athlete
100 may select an icon that enables plan module 300 to launch a plan
personalization wizard 322. The questions presented by the plan
personalization wizard 322 may vary depending on the type of plan
selected. FIG. 19 shows an exemplary personalization wizard 322 GUI
window provided by the Run a Race sub-module 306 for a user 100 who has
selected a level 4 10K race program.

[0118] The plan personalization wizard 322 may prompt the user 100 to
select a start date for their training plan, so that the plan may be
built forward from that date. For users 100 who select a race-oriented
plan (such as those provided by the Run a Race sub-module 306 or the
Finish Faster sub-module 312), personalization wizard 322 may prompt the
user 100 to select the day of their race, so that the plan may be built
backward from the race date.

[0119] The plan personalization wizard 322 may also prompt the user 100 to
select which days of the week they want to conduct their workouts on. For
example, as illustrated in FIG. 19, a user 100 may choose to workout four
days per week on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In other
embodiments, users 100 may be able to plan workouts to occur on different
days during different weeks.

[0120] While personalizing their plan, the user 100 may be able to vary
the number of workouts per week by adding removing a workout day from
their selection. In an embodiment, the system may then dynamically alter
the total number of workout and total weeks of the workout plan, and
display this information via the plan personalization wizard 322.
Depending on the overall goals of the plan selected by the user 100, the
system may or may not increase or decrease the total number of workout
and/or the total number of weeks of the plan in response to the user 100
adding or removing a workout day from their schedule. For example, if a
user 100 personalizes a plan to include workouts on only two days per
week, the system may extend the plan over a longer period of time and/or
add more total workouts. In contrast, if the user 100 personalizes a plan
to include workouts on 6 days a week, the system may reduce the number of
weeks of the plan and/or decrease the total number of workouts.

[0121] The plan personalization wizard 322 may further prompt the user 100
to give their plan a name. In one embodiment, the wizard 322 may provide
a default name. In this way, a user 100 who wishes to schedule multiple
training plans may be able to distinguish one plan from another by the
plans' names.

[0122] In one embodiment, after the user 100 finalizes their plan via the
personalization wizard 322, schedule module 400 may populate a GUI
calendar 402 with the user's 100 plan. In addition, at any other time
when the user 100 is logged in to the server 112, the user 100 may be
able to navigate to the GUI calendar 402 by selecting the icon
corresponding to the schedule module 400 from the menu bar 204.

[0123] FIG. 20 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention containing the calendar 402 that may be displayed
by the schedule module 400 for a user 100 who has selected a Finish
Faster level 7 marathon race program. From the calendar 402 page, the
user 100 may be able to view the individual workouts of their training
plan populated throughout the calendar 402. The individual workouts
populated into the calendar 402 may be represented by a zone bar
indicator 320 similar to that provided by the plan module 300 via the
sample workout list 318. The calendar 402 may also indicate the duration
of each workout scheduled for each date. The GUI page containing the
calendar 402 may also provide an indication of the number of workouts
and/or number of weeks remaining for the current plan.

[0124] In one embodiment, the user may be able to access a workout list
318 containing a listing of all workouts of their currently selected plan
by selecting an appropriate icon with their cursor 206. This workout list
may be identical to one of the sample workout lists 318 provided by plan
module 300. The workout list is another way of presenting the workout
information populated on to calendar 402.

[0125] From the calendar 402 page, the schedule module 400 may enable the
user 100 to select icons with the cursor 206 associated with various
schedule wizards, such as, for example, a plan editor wizard 404 and a
custom workout wizard 406.

[0126] FIG. 21 shows an exemplary plan editor wizard 404 GUI pop-up
window, according to an embodiment of the present invention, that May be
provided for a user 100 who has selected a Finish Faster level 7 marathon
race program. The plan editor wizard 404 may allow the user 100 to, for
example, reset their training schedule to start (or end) on a new date,
choose a new day of the week for their long run, end their plan entirely,
or adjust their schedule and calendar 402 to skip a given number of
workouts in the plan.

[0127] FIG. 22 shows an exemplary custom workout wizard 406 GUI pop-up
window, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The custom
workout wizard 406 may allow a user to add workouts to their calendar 402
regardless of whether or not they are currently participating in a
scheduled plan program. If a user 100 is participating in a scheduled
plan program, the custom workout feature may be used to supplement the
plan with additional workouts, remove workouts, or edit workouts as the
user 100 desires. FIG. 22 shows an exemplary custom workout wizard 406
GUI pop-up window that may be provided for a user 100 who is already
involved in a Finish Faster level 7 marathon race program. When a new
workout is added, the wizard 406 may allow the user 100 to schedule the
workout for a single date or schedule reoccurring instances of the
workout on their calendar 402. For example, the user 100 could select to
have the custom workout repeated weekly, or once every other week, on any
day of the week. The user 100 may also be able to select a start and end
date for any reoccurring workouts. The custom workout may also be named
and saved. In one embodiment, while viewing the calendar 402 page, saved
custom workouts may appear in a sidebar and the user 100 may drag and
drop a custom workout into any date on the calendar 402 using their
cursor 206.

[0128] In an embodiment, the custom workout created by the user may
include one or more intervals of varying intensities according to the
color-coded zone-based system described above. The custom workout wizard
406 may enable the user 100 to build an individual workout, for example,
by assembling a series of zone intervals. The user may indicate the
number of intervals to be performed and the relative intensities of each
interval to be performed, based on a target heart rate zone (or other
parameter-based zone), as indicated by a color. In one embodiment, the
user 100 may assemble a custom workout with GUI elements that may
resemble the graphical representation of the color-coded zone system as
illustrated in FIG. 7. In an embodiment, the user 100 may originally be
presented with a blank screen upon which they can drag, drop, stretch, or
otherwise manipulate one or more colored boxes that represent intervals
to be performed at specific intensities, as indicated by the color of the
box. Stretching or shrinking the boxes may increase or decrease the
duration of the interval associated with that box. In another embodiment,
the user could numerically specify their desired number of intervals,
their associated durations, and/or their associated intensities, and a
GUI representation consisting of several colored boxes may automatically
be produced. In an embodiment, the user 100 could specify a primary
exercise interval and could click check boxes indicating that a warm-up
and/or cool-down interval should also be inserted before or after their
primary exercise interval, if desired. After a workout is finalized and
saved, the workout built by the user 10 may be represented by a zone bar
indicator 320, as described above.

[0129] In addition to creating customized individual workouts, in an
embodiment, the user 10 may be able to create an entirely customized
training plan from scratch. Via the plan module 400, the user 100 may be
able to create an original plan by specifying, for example, the number of
weeks, the number of workouts per week, and the characteristics of the
individual workouts, as described with respect to the custom workout
wizard above.

[0130] Once the athlete 100 has selected a training plan that has been
populated onto the calendar 402, the athlete 100 may begin to engage in
physical activities in accordance with the training plan. As illustrated
in FIG. 1, the athlete 100 may be equipped with a portable fitness
monitoring device 102. The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may be
worn, carried, or otherwise supported by the athlete 100 during the
physical activity. The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may also
attach to a piece of exercise equipment such as a road bike traveling on
a bike path or a stationary bike in the gym. The portable fitness
monitoring device 102 may be capable of measuring and/or processing
various performance parameters associated with the athlete's 100 physical
activity. The portable fitness monitoring device 102 may communicate with
one or more sensors 104, such as a heart rate sensor, for detecting the
performance parameters. As discussed above with reference to FIG. 2,
communication of performance parameters (such as heart rate or speed) may
occur between two or more of the portable fitness monitoring device 102,
the personal computer 114, and the server 112 via a network 110 (such as
the Internet).

[0131] In an embodiment of the present invention, performance parameters
for a plurality of athletes 100 may be stored on the server 112 and
associated with particular user accounts by reference to a user database
or the like. The track module 500 allows the users 100 to review and
analyze their past performance data.

[0132] After completing a workout and uploading performance data to the
server 112, the user 100 may log in to the server 112 to review and
analyze their past performance data. In one embodiment, by hovering the
cursor 206 over the track module 500 icon, the user may be able to select
a workout journal sub-module 502 or a history sub-module 504. The user
may also be provided with a link to view data from their latest workout
via the history sub-module 504, as described in further detail, below.

[0133] FIG. 23 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
workout journal sub-module 502. In one embodiment, for each completed
workout, the workout journal page may list the date the workout was
completed, the name of the workout, and one or more performance details
about the workout. For example, the workout journal page may list the
elapsed time of the workout, the calories burned by the workout, the
distance covered by the workout, the user's 100 average heart rate during
the workout, the user's 100 average pace during the workout, the user's
100 average stride rate during the workout, a subjective user rating 506
of the workout and/or route, and any other notes 508 the user 100 wishes
to record. The particular information displayed on the workout journal
page may be set by the system or customized by the user 100. Various
information columns may be added or removed by the user as desired.

[0134] In an embodiment, the workout journal sub-module 502 may provide a
listing of all workouts completed by the user 100 using the portable
fitness monitoring system. By default, the workouts may be listed in
order by date. The user 100 may also be able to sort the displayed
workout data by category. For example, if the user 100 wanted to sort all
of their workouts by average heart rate, the user might click on the
"heart rate" column header with the cursor 206, causing the workout
journal sub-module 502 to sort the workout data accordingly. A user 100
may only want to view workouts from a specific date range. Accordingly,
in one embodiment, the user 100 may be able to select a specific week,
month, or year for which to view workout data. By selecting a particular
listed workout with the cursor 206, the user 100 may be able to view more
detailed data from that workout via the history sub-module 504, as
described in further detail below, with respect to FIG. 27.

[0135] The subjective user rating 506 may be assigned by the user 100
immediately after the workout is completed, or at a later time. In one
embodiment, the user 100 may rate a workout on a one to five star scale,
with a one star workout being a poor workout and a five star workout
being an excellent workout. In one embodiment, the user rating 506 may be
entirely subjective. Alternatively, the user rating 506 may be assigned
by track module 500 (or one of its sub-modules), based on various
recorded performance parameters from the workout, historical user 100
performance, and/or user settings and options.

[0136] The user notes 508 may also be assigned by the user 100 immediately
after the workout is complete or at a later time. User notes may include,
for example, explanations of a user rating 506 assigned to the workout,
or other subjective or objective observations about the workout, the
user's 100 condition, the environment the workout was conducted in, or
the route traversed.

[0137] In addition to (or in place of) being able to review and analyze
past performance data via the workout journal sub-module 502, the user
100 may be able to select an icon capable of initiating the history
sub-module 504. The history sub-module 504 may be capable of displaying a
variety of GUI windows to the user such as, for example, those shown in
FIGS. 24-35.

[0138] In one embodiment of the present invention, there may be overlap
between the information displayed by the workout journal sub-module 502
and the history sub-module 504. The user 100 may prefer that information
be displayed via one module for certain purposes and the other module for
other purposes.

[0139] FIG. 24 is an exemplary GUI window according to an embodiment of
the present invention that may be displayed by the history sub-module
504. History pages may include a dashboard 510, a primary display 512,
and a sidebar 514. The dashboard 510 may provide icons that are
correlated to particular performance parameters. Each icon itself may
provide information about the performance parameters, and selecting a
specific icon with the cursor 206 may alter the information displayed by
the primary display 512. The sidebar 514 may provide additional
information, icons, and/or options.

[0140] The information displayed on the history pages may be for a single
workout or for a plurality of workouts falling within a particular date
range. Information may be displayed on a yearly, monthly, weekly, or
daily basis. The data range selected by the user 100 may affect the
information displayed by the dashboard 510 icons, the information
displayed on the primary display 512, as well as the content of the
sidebar 514.

[0141] With reference to FIG. 24, for example, the user 100 may select and
the history sub-module 504 may provide a history page displaying past
performance information on a weekly basis from Jun. 29, 2008, through
Sep. 20, 2008. The user 100 may have selected this date range by locating
a workout in the workout journal display via workout journal sub-module
501, selecting that workout, and then selecting a weekly display via the
history sub-module. Alternatively, the user 100 may have navigated
directly to the history page via the history sub-module 504. A user 100
viewing a weekly history page may be able to move forward or backward in
time to alter their display by selecting and dragging a scrollbar 516
with their cursor 206. The scrollbar 516 may be included, for example,
within the primary display 512.

[0142] The dashboard 510 shown in FIG. 26 includes display icons for time,
calories, distance, heart rate, pace, and stride rate. The numerical
information provided with the dashboard 510 icons corresponds to data
associated with workouts from the date range selected. For example, as
illustrated in FIG. 24, for the selected period of Jun. 29, 2008, through
Sep. 20, 2008, the user's total workout time was 52 hours, 52 minutes,
and 16 seconds. This value may also be provided in cumulative and/or
average form over the selected time period.

[0143] While the information provided by the dashboard 510 icons may
remain the same for a given date range, the information displayed by the
primary display 512 may change depending on which dashboard 510 icon the
user 100 has selected. For example, in FIG. 24, because the user 100 has
selected the time icon in the dashboard 510, the history sub-module 504
displays time information in the primary display 512. In FIG. 25, because
the user 100 has selected the heart rate icon in the dashboard 510, the
history sub-module 504 displays heart rate information in the primary
display 512. Note that in both FIGS. 24 and 25 the numerical information
displayed by the dashboard 510 icons has not changed because the date
range remains the same.

[0144] While the figures show the information displayed by the primary
display 512 in the form of bar graphs, other suitable graphical displays
such as, for example, line graphs, pie graphs, racecourse
representations, animations, or videos may be provided in addition to or
in place of the bar graphs. Moreover, although only time and heart rate
graphs have been illustrated by the figures, any performance parameters
listed in the dashboard 510 may be graphically displayed in the primary
display 512.

[0145] As illustrated in FIG. 24, when a weekly display is selected,
cumulative and/or average data for a plurality of weeks is displayed in
the primary display 512. For example, for the selected period of Jun. 29,
2008, through Sep. 20, 2008, separate bars may be displayed for the weeks
of June 29th through July 5th, July 6th through July
12th, July 13th through July 29th, etc.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 25, when weekly heart rate information is
displayed in the primary display 512 in bar graph form, the heart rate
information may be conveyed based on the color-coded heart rate zone
system described above with respect to FIGS. 7 and 8. Likewise, when
weekly pace, stride rate, or other parameter information is displayed in
the primary display 512 in bar graph form, the pace, stride rate, or
other parameter information may be conveyed based on a color-coded zone
system corresponding to these other parameters.

[0147] In one embodiment, as illustrated by FIG. 25, a color-coded bar may
be provided for each week. The color-coded bar may include, for example,
blue, green, yellow, and red regions associated with various heart rate
zone ranges, as described above. The y-axis of the graph displayed in the
primary display 512 may be time-based, and the total height of each
weekly color-coded bar may correspond to the cumulative workout time for
a weekly period. The relative heights of the individual color-coded
regions within a given bar may be proportional to the amount of time the
athlete 100 spent in that heart rate zone corresponding to each color for
the weekly period.

[0148] For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 25, during the week of
August 3rd through. August 9th, the athlete 100 worked out for
a time period of approximately eight hours and spent time working out in
each of the four heart rate zones, but primarily worked out in the green
heart rate zone.

[0149] An athlete 100 who wants to obtain more specific information about
a period of time displayed within the primary display 512 may hover their
cursor 206 over the appropriate graphic to display a GUI pop-up window
containing such information. For example, for the weekly time display
shown in FIG. 24, the athlete 100 has hovered their cursor 206 over the
bar representing the week of July 13th through July 19th. The
displayed pop-up window may indicate the time, calories, distance, heart
rate, pace, an/or stride rate information for only the specific week
selected by the athlete 100. The particular information displayed in the
pop-up window may be set by the system or customized by the user 100.
Various information may be added or removed by the user as desired. Note
that this information is taken from a smaller period of time than the
information concurrently displayed in the dashboard 510.

[0150] In one embodiment, an athlete 100 who wishes to obtain more
specific information about a period of time displayed within the primary
display 512 may alternatively select the bar or other indicium
representing the appropriate time period with their cursor 206 (e.g. by
clicking on the bar or other indicium). For example, if the user 100
viewing the weekly GUI window of FIG. 25 wanted to obtain more specific
information about the week of August 3rd through August 9th,
the user 100 could select the bar representing that week, which may
result in the history sub-module 504 displaying the daily GUI window
shown in FIG. 26. The resulting window may show data for only the
previously selected range (i.e. the week of August 3rd through
August 9th), or it may show a slightly broader date range, as
showing FIG. 26, which provides daily information from July 27th
through August 16th.

[0151] The history display shown in FIG. 26 is similar to that shown in
FIG. 25 except that specific workout dates, as opposed to weeks, are
displayed in the primary display 512. Accordingly, the cumulative and/or
average information displayed in the dashboard 510 is also from a
narrower date range.

[0152] An athlete 100 who wishes to obtain even more specific information
about a period of time displayed within the primary display 512 may
select the bar or other indicium representing the appropriate time period
with their cursor 206 (e.g. by clicking on the bar or other indicium).
For example, if the user 100 viewing the daily GU window of FIG. 26
wanted to obtain more specific information about workouts conducted on
Aug. 9th, 2008, the user 100 could select the bar representing that
day, which may result in the history sub-module 504 displaying the daily
GUI window shown in FIG. 27.

[0153] The history display shown in FIG. 27 is similar to that shown in
FIG. 26 in that the dashboard 510, primary display 512, and sidebar 514
are still present. However, FIG. 27 differs from FIG. 26 in that
information provided in both the dashboard 510 and the primary display
512 is only associated with a single workout day. Additional
functionality may also provided by the sidebar 514.

[0154] In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 27,
the history sub-module 504 may provide a feedback 518 section in the
sidebar 514. The feedback section may provide feedback from coaches,
friends, or other individuals authorized to provide feedback to the
athlete 100. All users of the system of the present invention having
similar accounts through server 112 may be authorized to provide feedback
to the athlete 100. Alternatively, only users of the system that are
specifically authorized by the athlete 100 may provide feedback to the
athlete 100. In an embodiment, users who are linked to the athlete 100
via a social networking site may also provide feedback to the athlete
100. Feedback may be provided through a GUI provided by sever 112, via
email, via text message, via voice mail, or by any other suitable means
known in the art. Feedback may be listed sequentially in the order that
the feedback was posted, much like comments associated with a blog or
other web article, as is known by those of skill in the art.

[0155] The history sub-module 504 may also provide a notes section in the
sidebar 514. The notes section may provide a section for a user rating
506 and user notes 508. These ratings 506 and notes 508 may be similar to
those described above with reference to FIG. 23.

[0156] The history sub-module 504 may provide a route tools section in the
sidebar 514 that may be managed by a route tools sub-module 520. In one
embodiment, the route tools sub-module 520 may allow the user 100 to
associate specific routes with a workout when the workout involved the
traversal of a particular geographic pathway. In one embodiment, the
route tools sub-module may employ a web-based mapping service
application, such as, for example, the Google Maps application provided
by Google, Inc. of Mountain View, Calif. The mapping service application
may utilize an application programming interface that allows the mapping
service application, such as Google Maps, to be embedded into the GUI
windows of the present invention.

[0157] As illustrated in FIG. 28, the route tools sub-module 520 may
enable the user 100 to recreate the path they traversed during the
workout by clicking, and/or dragging and dropping landmarks and paths
over a street map using the cursor 206. The approximate area of the route
may be found by, for example, entering a street address, a well-known
landmark, or a zip code into the mapping service application interface.
Alternatively, in an embodiment, the athlete 100 could conduct their
workout using a GPS-enabled portable fitness monitoring device 102
capable of recording their geographic way points along the route
traversed. Either during traversal of the route or after the route has
been completed, the GPS data could then be uploaded to the server 112 and
associated with other performance monitoring information collected during
traversal of the route. Thus, the route tools sub-module 520 could
automatically reconstruct the path traversed by the athlete 100.

[0158] In another embodiment, the route tools sub-module may allow the
athlete 100 to create, store, share, and find route plans of interest.
The route plan, which may or may not be associated with a particular
workout, may be created or selected that specifies a particular route for
the athlete 100 to travel. In an embodiment, the route plan may be
downloaded to the portable fitness monitoring device 102. Athletes 100
may use route plans they themselves have created and stored on the sever
112. In one embodiment, other users 100 may post and share route plans
with others. In one embodiment this functionality may be enabled by the
forum module 800. Thus, a plurality of users 100 may be able to create,
store, share, find, edit, rate, and comment on route plans of interest.

[0159] In an embodiment, the portable fitness monitoring device 102 may be
able to guide the athlete 102 along a route, based on the route plan and,
for example, the athlete's 102 current position based on GPS readings.

[0160] In one embodiment, the user may save and name a route or route plan
using the route tools sub-module 520. In the embodiment of FIG. 29, as
shown in the sidebar 514, the user 100 has named and saved a plurality of
routes or route plans to the server 112. In the event that a particular
route or route plan has not been automatically assigned to a given
workout record, the user 100 may wish to select a route or route plan
with the cursor 206 to associate with their workout.

[0161] Saved routes or route plans may be displayed in primary display 512
if the user 100 selects an appropriate icon. Route details such as the
route name, distance, and location may be provided in a GUI pop-up
window. The user 100 may also be able to assign a subjective rating and
include notes about the route. These features are analogous to the user
rating 506 and user notes 508 features described above with respect to
FIG. 23.

[0162] In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the various
route functionalities described herein may be provided through a separate
route module of the application software of server 112 at the same
functional level as the other primary modules illustrated in FIG. 3, such
as the start module 200, the plan module 300, the schedule module 400,
the track module 500, the support module 600, the library module 700, and
the forum module 800. Accordingly, a route module icon may be provided on
the menu bar 204.

[0163] In another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in
FIG. 30, the history sub-module 504 may further provide a playlist 522
section in the sidebar 514. If the user 100 conducted a workout while
listening to music on a music-enabled portable fitness monitoring device
102 (or with a portable fitness monitoring device coupled to a music
device), the playlist 522 section may provide a listing of the musical
audio tracks that the user 100 listened to during their workout.

[0164] In an embodiment, a particular play list may be associated with a
particular route plan or workout so that the play list may be downloaded
to the portable fitness monitoring device 102 simultaneously with the
route plan and/or workout. Accordingly, the user 100 may be able to
easily perform the same workout and/or traverse the same route while
listening to the same play list. The athlete 100 could also fine tune
their play list until the athlete felt that the play list provided
appropriate entertainment, motivation, or other benefits during the
physical activity.

[0165] As illustrated in, for example, FIGS. 27 and 30, the history
sub-module 504 may be capable of displaying a variety of performance
parameter information about a particular workout in the dashboard 510 and
primary display 512 areas of a GUI window. As was the case with the
weekly and daily summary displays of performance information shown in
FIGS. 24-26, while the information provided by the dashboard 510 icons
may remain the same for a given workout, the information displayed by the
primary display 512 may change depending on which dashboard 510 icon the
user 100 has selected. For example, in FIG. 30, because the user 100 has
selected the heart rate icon in the dashboard 510, the history sub-module
504 displays heart rate information in the primary display 512.

[0166] In an embodiment, the heart rate information provided with the
heart rate icon in the dashboard 510 is an average heart rate in beats
per minute over the entire workout. In another embodiment, the heart rate
information provided with the heart rate icon in the dashboard 510 is a
percentage indicating how often the athlete 100 was exercising at the
appropriate heart rate, as indicated by their workout plan for the given
workout (i.e. their "percentage in zone"). The percentage in zone may be
based on time or distance. For example, an athlete's 100 plan may call
for a 30 minute jog in the blue zone followed by a 30 minute run in the
green zone. The athlete 100 may cover 4 miles during the blue zone jog
while staying in the proper zone 80% of the time, and 8 miles during the
green zone run, while staying in the proper zone 40% of the time.
Accordingly the athlete's 100 percentage in zone for the entire run based
on time would be 60%, while the athlete's 100 percentage in zone for the
entire run based on distance would be approximately 53%. Percentage in
zone based on one or both of time and distance may be displayed at a
given time.

[0167] In one embodiment, a "success rate" may be calculated and provided
to the user 100. In this manner, the user may receive performance
feedback about a particular workout or series of workouts. The success
rate may be displayed in the dashboard 510 and may be provided in
cumulative and/or average form. In an embodiment, the success rate may be
equal to the percentage in zone. In another embodiment, the success rate
may be proportionate to the percentage in zone. Other factors may be used
to calculate the success rate including, but not limited to, whether a
personal best for a particular parameter (e.g. time, pace, distance,
etc.) was achieved during a workout, whether the athlete 100 left a zone
too early, whether the athlete's 100 heart rate appeared to recover
quickly after completing a difficult zone interval, whether the athlete's
100 performance was consistent throughout the workout, and/or how the
athlete performed during specific key interval training sessions.

[0168] After the zones have been initially defined, the portable fitness
monitoring system may be adapted to selectively adjust the limits of the
zones in response to the athlete's 100 performance and/or feedback
received from the athlete 100, if such adjustments are warranted, as
illustrated in FIG. 38. In this manner, the portable fitness monitoring
system may provide a training feedback loop. As described above, the
zones may be defined based on user input. User 100 performance parameter
data is detected during a physical activity via the sensors 104, as
described above. The performance parameter data is transmitted to the
personal computer 114 and/or the server 112 for processing. A
determination is made as to whether the zones need to be adjusted. If
adjustments are warranted, this data may be communicated back to a
portable fitness monitoring device 102.

[0169] The determination as to whether or not the zones need to be
adjusted may be based on, for example, the factors described above with
respect to success rate calculations. In one embodiment, if the athlete
100 performs outside the specified heart rate zone for all or a portion
of the interval, the heart rate zone may be adjusted. For example, if the
athlete 100 is consistently above the specified zone, the zone range may
be increased. If the athlete 100 is consistently below the specified
zone, the zone range may be decreased.

[0170] Determinations may further be influenced by feedback provided by
the athlete 100. For example, the athlete 100 may provide responses to
questions posed by the portable fitness monitoring system. For example,
upon uploading recently recorded performance parameter data, or upon
logging in to the personal computer 114 and/or server 112, a GUI pop-up
window may appear asking the user 100, for example, if they thought the
workout routine was too difficult or too easy. If the user 100 responds
that a workout routine was too difficult, the zone range may be
incrementally decreased. If the user 100 responds that a workout routine
was too easy, the zone range may be incrementally increased. The
athlete's 100 answers to these questions may also influence the success
rate calculations described above.

[0171] Returning to FIG. 30, in one embodiment, the performance
information to be displayed in the primary display 512, based on the
selected dashboard 510 icon, may be displayed on a line graph whose
x-axis is either time or distance based, and whose y-axis is correlated
to the value of the measured performance parameter. For example, as shown
in FIG. 30, a line graph charts heart rate information as a function of
time during the workout.

[0172] Average lines may also be plotted parallel to the x-axis across the
graphs. For example, in FIG. 30, an average heart rate line representing
the athlete's 100 average heart rate of 155 beats per minute during the
workout is plotted across the graph.

[0173] In an embodiment, certain performance parameters may be
simultaneously plotted or overlaid on top of other performance
parameters. For example, in FIG. 31, the athlete's 100 pace has been
plotted on top of the athlete's 100 heart rate as a function of time.

[0174] The user 100 interested in viewing instantaneous performance
statistics throughout the workout may be able to select and drag a
scrollbar 516 with their cursor 206 along the x-axis. The scrollbar 516
of this embodiment may function similarly to the scrollbar 516 described
with reference to FIG. 24. As the user 100 drags the scrollbar 516 across
the x-axis, an icon may travel along the line graph plotted for the
performance parameter of interest. In addition, a pop-up window
displaying additional instantaneous performance data may appear and move
across the screen along with the moving icon. FIG. 32 is an illustration
of an icon and pop-up window containing instantaneous performance
parameter information being moved across a GUI screen by means of a
scrollbar 516.

[0175] In another embodiment, the user 100 may be able to display summary
performance information for a subset of the workout in the dashboard 510.
In one embodiment, the user 100 may manipulate first and second analysis
boundaries 524 and 526. The user 100 may enable use of the analysis
boundaries by selecting an icon with their cursor 206. Once analysis
boundaries are enabled, a first analysis boundary marker 524 may appear
on the left side of the performance parameter graph in primary display
section 512, and a second analysis boundary marker 526 may appear on the
right side of the performance parameter graph in primary display section
512. As shown in FIG. 33, using the cursor 206, the user may drag and
drop the first and second analysis boundary markers 524 and 526 so that
only a subset of the performance parameter graph (the portion remaining
between the two analysis boundary markers) is highlighted. When analysis
boundaries are enabled, the numerical performance parameter information
displayed in the dashboard 510 is only summed and/or averaged for the
subset of the workout highlighted within the analysis boundary markers.

[0176] When heart rate information is selected and displayed in the
primary display 512, icons representing the red, yellow, green, and blue
zones may be positioned on the right side of the heart rate graph in
primary display section 512. The user 100 may select or hover the cursor
206 over one of these icons to display summary information for only the
portions of the workout where the user 100 was performing in the zone
associated with the selected icon. For example, in FIG. 34, the user 100
has selected the green icon on the right side of the heart rate graph.
History sub-module 504 then displays a pop-up window that may detail, for
example, the numerical heart rate range corresponding to the selected
zone for the particular user 100 during that particular workout, as well
as time, distance, heart rate, and pace information associated with the
user's 100 activity in the selected zone during the workout.

[0177] In an embodiment, the user 100 may be able to manually correct any
recorded parameters that they know are inaccurate. Inaccuracies may be
due to, for example, errors with the sensors 104 employed by the portable
fitness monitoring device 102 used by the athlete 100. As shown in FIG.
35, a user 100 may correct, for example, the distance they traveled
during a workout. The user 100 may know the exact distance of a route
routinely traveled and wish to update a distance inaccurately recorded by
a distance sensor 104.

[0178] In another embodiment, when a parameter, such as distance, is
corrected, the system may recalibrate the recorded and stored data. For
example, when the distance traversed for a particular run is corrected,
the distance data and corresponding distance graph for that run is
corrected. In addition, data and graphical displays that depend on the
distance data, such as pace data and graphical displays, are also
corrected.

[0179] In a further embodiment, when a parameter, such as distance, is
corrected, this corrected data may be transmitted to the portable fitness
monitoring device 102 the next time the device is in communication with
the network 112 so that the portable fitness monitoring device's 102
distance monitoring capability can be recalibrated, if necessary.

[0180] The track module 500 may also provide a front page sub-module 530.
FIG. 36 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the front
page sub-module 530. The front page GUI may include plan tracker 532,
achievements 534, last workout 536, next workout 538, and coach talk 540
sections. In an embodiment, the contents of the front page may be
customized and reordered similarly to customizable web portals such as,
for example, the iGoogle web portal.

[0181] The achievements section 534 may provide icons that are correlated
to particular performance parameters. In this way information displayed
by the achievements section 534 on the front page may be similar to
information displayed by the dashboard 510 of the other history pages.
When a user 100 selects a performance parameter icon in the achievements
section 534, cumulative and/or average information about that parameter
for various time periods may be displayed in the achievements section
534. For example, as shown in FIG. 36, heart rate percentage in zone may
be displayed for the entire time the user 100 has used the portable
fitness monitoring system, since a specific date, in the last week, or in
the current week. The particular information displayed in the achievement
section may be set by the system or customized by the user 100. Various
information may be added or removed by the user 100 as desired.

[0182] In an embodiment, the last workout section 536 displays stats for
the last workout completed by the user 100, and the next workout section
538 displays information about upcoming planned workouts. The information
provided by the achievements 534, last workout 536, and next workout 538
sections may be similar to information provided to the user 100 by other
modules and sub-modules, but may conveniently be provided on a single
page. The coach talk section 540 may provide information similar to that
provided by the coaching tips included in the workout list 318, as
described above with respect to FIG. 18. The coach talk section 540 may
therefore provide motivation, point out a particular area of focus, or
otherwise provide guidance to the athlete 100 related to the ultimate
goal of their particular plan or workout.

[0183] In one embodiment, front page includes a plan tracker 532 section.
The plan tracker 532 may graphically display an individual's 100 planned
workouts, the number of planned workouts completed, and the number of
planned workouts remaining to be completed. The plan tracker 532 may
provide indication(s) about whether the individual 100 is meeting the
specified goals for the completed workouts.

[0184] The particular information displayed in the plan tracker 532
section may be set by the system or customized by the user 100. Various
information may be added or removed by the user 100 as desired. A user
100 engaged in multiple plans simultaneously (e.g. a running based plan
and a non-running based plan) may choose to display multiple plan
trackers 532 at once. In an embodiment, other trackers may be provided
that display information similarly to the plan tracker 532. For example,
an athlete with a goal to lose weight may chose to display a weight
tracker that tracks their progress towards a weight loss goal.

[0185] The track module 500 may also support a message sub-module 528.
FIG. 37 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the message
sub-module 528. The message sub-module GUIs may have the general look and
functionality of an email application such as Windows Mail or Gmail. In
an embodiment, the message sub-module may be linked to one or more email
addresses. The email addresses may include an email address specifically
associated with the user's 100 fitness monitoring system or general
purpose email accounts provided by other providers.

[0186] At least some of the messages received by the user 100 via the
message sub-module 528 may be automatically generated by the server 112.
Messages may, for example, congratulate the athlete 100 for achieving
certain training milestones or personal bests, may provide motivation or
other training advice to the athlete 100, may provide new product or
service updates and/or downloads, and may include other things such as
birthday or holiday greetings.

[0187] As indicated above, the menu bar 204 may include several icons or
indicia corresponding to the support 600, library 700, and forum 800
modules.

[0188] The support module 600 may support help 602 and settings 604
sub-modules. FIG. 39 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by
the help sub-module 602. The help sub-module 602 may contain general
information about the fitness monitoring system of the present invention,
including a brief description of the system, its intended users, and the
potential benefits available to those users The help sub-module 602 may
provide a description of the various functions of the interactive website
supported by the software and the underlying modules, sub-modules, and
wizards.

[0190] FIG. 40 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
settings sub-module 604 for collecting personal settings 606 information.
Personal settings 606 information may include, for example, name,
address, email address, password, gender, birth date, and address
information. This information may be used to associate a specific user
100 with a particular user account. In an embodiment, some of this
information may be used to tailor aspects of the portable fitness
monitoring system to the user 100, or to provide messages, product
offers, or other items of interest to the user 100.

[0191] FIG. 41 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
settings sub-module 604 for collecting workout settings 608 information.
Workout settings 608 information may include preferences such as
preferred distance units (miles vs. kilometers), height units (feet and
inches vs. meters and centemeters), weight units (pounds vs. kilograms),
time format (12 hour clock vs. 24 hour clock), and a preferred week start
date (e.g. Sunday or Monday). Workout settings 608 information may also
include fitness profile information such as the user's weight, height,
and maximum heart rate (if known). In one embodiment, the user may be
periodically prompted by the system to update their fitness profile
information.

[0192] The workout settings page may graphically and/or numerically
display the user's 100 current zone ranges according to the color-coded
heart rate zone system described above. In an embodiment, the user 100
may be able to configure and customize heart rate, pace, or other custom
workout interval settings via the workout settings page.

[0193] FIG. 42 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
settings sub-module 604 for collecting device settings 610 information.
Device settings information may include settings for any peripheral
devices the user 100 has and is using in conjunction with the system of
the present invention. These devices may include, for example, the
devices discussed above with respect to FIG. 11, including mobile fitness
phones, dedicated portable fitness monitoring devices, non-dedicated
portable fitness monitoring devices, sports mode-enabled MP3 players,
sports-enabled dongles, sports watches, display devices, and sensors
(e.g. pedometers or heart rate sensors). The user may indicate which, if
any, sensors they may use during their workouts.

[0194] For example, via the settings page, the user 100 may be able to
adjust the audio feedback options provided by their portable device(s)
during a workout. In one embodiment, the user may select audio feedback
with different types or styles of voices such as, for example, voices of
different gendered speakers, voices with different accents, voices in
different languages, voices from celebrities or fictional characters, and
voices of different tones (e.g. supportive, calming, energizing, or
stern). In another embodiment, the user may select specific performance
parameter measurements to be recited via audio feedback during the
workout. For example, a user may choose to have their elapsed time,
calories burned, and distance traveled so far announced to them at
regular intervals, on demand, or at predetermined times throughout the
workout.

[0195] FIG. 43 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
settings sub-module 604 for collecting privacy settings 612 information.
Privacy settings 612 information may include, for example, whether the
user's 100 profile and/or history are accessible to all users 100 or only
select users 100. For those users 100 with access, the privacy settings
612 may control specifically what historical workout information is
accessible (e.g. only workout data from the last workout vs. all workout
data).

[0196] The privacy settings page may also allow the user 100 to link their
fitness monitoring account to a social networking site, such as, for
example, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, LinkedIn, or the like.
Users 100 who link their profile to a social networking site may be able
to specify how often their fitness information is updated to their social
networking site and specifically what type of information is provided.

[0197] The library module 700 may be capable of displaying GUI windows for
videos 702 and articles 704. The videos 702 and articles 704 may provide
the user 100 with additional resources for planning, preparing for, an
executing their workouts.

[0198] FIG. 44 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
library module 700 for providing videos 702. The library module 700 may
include a videos 702 section that provides short animations and/or videos
teaching the user 100 proper stretching, warm-up, cool-down, and other
exercising techniques. The user 100 may select a video 702 icon with
their cursor 206 to display the video 702.

[0199] FIG. 45 is an exemplary GUI pop-up window that may appear in
response to the user 100 selecting a particular video. The pop-up window
may include the animation and/or video, a suggested number or time period
for the activity, and other notes or comments about the activity.

[0200] In an embodiment, the user 100 may be able to download videos 702
from the server 112 to a portable fitness monitoring device 102 having a
video screen so that they may be viewed remotely. This may allow the
athlete 100 to view instructions regarding preparing for or executing
their workouts at the site of their workout prior to or during their
exercise routine.

[0201] FIG. 46 is an exemplary GUI window that may be displayed by the
library module 700 for providing articles 704. The library module 700 may
include an articles 704 section that provides articles information the
user 100 about various health and fitness topics. Articles may focus on
topics such as strength training, cardiovascular exercise, biking,
running, or a variety of other topics. The articles 704 may not all
relate directly to fitness activities. For example, some articles may be
related to diet and nutrition.

[0202] The forum module 800 may be capable of displaying GUI windows for
user forums. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 47, the forum
module 800 may employ a social networking application, such as, for
example, Facebook. The social networking application may utilize an
application programming interface that allows the social networking
application, such as Facebook, to be embedded into the GUI windows of the
present invention. In another embodiment, the social networking site
provides a feed that can be transmitted and displayed via the GUI windows
of the present invention.

[0203] The forum page may be a place where users 100 can exchange updates
regarding their fitness planning and progress using the system of the
present invention. Users 100 may also exchange information regarding the
website, the particular training equipment and devices they are using,
the athletic events or races they are participating in, and information
giving and/or requesting coaching or other advice.

[0204] Various aspects of the present invention, or any parts or functions
thereof, may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, tangible
computer readable or computer usable storage media having instructions
stored thereon, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or
more computer systems or other processing systems.

[0205] Program products, methods, and systems for providing fitness
monitoring services of the present invention can include any software
application executed by one or more computing devices. A computing device
can be any type of computing device having one or more processors. For
example, a computing device can be a workstation, mobile device (e.g., a
mobile phone, personal digital assistant, or laptop), computer, server,
compute cluster, server farm, game console, set-top box, kiosk, embedded
system, a gym machine, a retail system or other device having at least
one processor and memory. Embodiments of the present invention may be
software executed by a processor, firmware, hardware or any combination
thereof in a computing device.

[0206] Software of the present invention may be stored on any
computer-usable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data
processing device, causes the data processing device to operate as
described herein. Embodiments of the invention employ any computer-usable
or -readable medium, known now or in the future. Examples of
computer-usable mediums include, but are not limited to, primary storage
devices (e.g., any type of random access memory), secondary storage
devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, CD ROMS, ZIP disks, tapes,
magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, MEMS,
nanotechnological storage devices, etc.), and communication mediums
(e.g., wired and wireless communications networks, local area networks,
wide area networks, intranets, etc.).

[0207] While many of the exemplary embodiments discussed above make
reference to a color-coded heart rate zone-based system, color-coded zone
systems based on zones of other parameters including, but not limited to,
speed, pace, stride rate, calories, respiration rate, blood oxygen level,
blood flow, hydration status, or body temperature may also be employed.
The present invention is therefore not to be limited to only heart rate
based zone systems.

[0208] Furthermore, while many of the exemplary embodiments discussed
above make reference to a color-coded heart rate zone-based system where
the zones may be defined as ranges of percentages of an athlete's 100
maximum heart rate, heart rate zones may be defined based on other
parameters as well.

[0209] In one embodiment, heart rate zones may be defined as ranges of
percentages of an athlete's 100 maximum heart rate. In another
embodiment, heart rate zones may be defined as ranges derived from
parameters such as an athlete's 100 ventilation threshold heart rate. In
a further embodiment, heart rate zones may be defined as ranges derived
from both the athlete's 100 peak heart rate and the athlete's 100
ventilation threshold heart rate.

[0210] An athlete's 100 peak heart rate may or may not be the same as the
athlete's 100 maximum heart rate. As used herein, "peak heart rate"
refers to the highest heart rate that a particular athlete 100 can
achieve during a training session. The athlete's physiologically possible
maximum heart rate may be higher that the peak heart rate. For some
athletes 100, typically those in top physical condition, their peak heart
rate may be very close to their max heart rate. For other athletes 100,
typically those who are less well conditioned, their peak heart rate may
be far less than their true physiologically possible max heart rate.
Accordingly, in an embodiment, an athlete 100 may enter their peak heart
rate into their portable fitness monitoring device 102 or save this
information on the server 112. The athlete 100 may also be able to
capture peak heart rate information during an assessment run, as
described in further detail above.

[0211] As an exercise progressively increases in intensity, the air into
and out of your respiratory tract (called ventilation) increases linearly
or similarly. As the intensity of exercise continues to increase, there
becomes a point at which ventilation starts to increase in a non-linear
fashion. This point where ventilation deviates from the progressive
linear increase is called the "ventilation threshold." The ventilation
threshold is closely related to the lactate threshold, or the point
during intense exercise at which there is an abrupt increase in blood
lactate levels. Research suggests that the ventilation and lactate
thresholds may be some of the best and most consistent predictors of
performance in endurance events. The athlete's 100 heart rate at the
ventilation threshold point may be referred to as their ventilation
threshold heart rate. Accordingly, in an embodiment, an athlete 100 may
enter their ventilation threshold heart rate into their portable fitness
monitoring device 102 or save this information on the server 112. The
athlete 100 may also be able to capture ventilation threshold heart rate
information during an assessment run, as described in further detail
above, by using equipment necessary for determining ventilation and/or
lactate threshold.

[0212] In an embodiment, the heart rate zones may be defined as ranges
derived from both the athlete's 100 peak heart rate and the athlete's 100
ventilation threshold heart rate. For example, Table 1 illustrates an
exemplary embodiment in which color-coded heart rate zones may be defined
for an athlete 100 with a peak heart rate (PHR) of 200 beats per minute
and a ventilation threshold heart rate (VTHR) of 170 beats per minute:

[0213] As illustrated by Table 1, each color coded zone may be defined as
having upper and lower limits. Each zone limit may be calculated based on
PHR, VTHR, and/or one of the other zone limits. A heart rate value
associated with each zone limit may be correlated to a percentage of max
heart rate if max heart rate is known or can be estimated. In an
embodiment, PHR is assumed to be 93.5% of an athlete's 100 max heart rate
value. Accordingly, physical activities may be carried out and content
may be presented via GUIs according to the color-coded heart rate zone
based system of the present invention.

[0214] As described above, color-coded pace or speed based systems may
also be employed. In an embodiment, upper and lower pace or speed zone
limits may be derived in part from PHR and VTHR values. For example, an
athlete may conduct one or more physical activities using a heart rate
monitor, a ventilation threshold (or lactate threshold) monitor, and/or
pace or speed monitors. Measurements may be conducted by portable
monitors, stationary monitors, or in a laboratory after the physical
activities are conducted. A relationship between the pace or speed of the
athlete and max heart rate, PHR, and/or VTHR may be established.
Accordingly, color-coded pace or speed zone limits may be determined
based on this information.

[0215] In another embodiment of the present invention, zones may be
determined based on a measurement of power. Power measurements may be
derived from pace calculations if other parameters such as, for example,
the athlete's 100 body weight and the incline of the surface traversed
(e.g. incline of a sidewalk, bike path, or treadmill surface).

[0216] In an embodiment, the athlete 100 may be able to download mobile
applications to a mobile device such as a mobile phone, that are capable
of presenting GUIs similar to those illustrated herein, from server 112.
Accordingly, the athlete 100 may be able to interact with the server 112,
access their account, and perform many of the other planning, tracking,
and other functions described herein from a mobile device.

[0217] The present invention has been described above by way of exemplary
embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention should not be limited by
any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined
only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalences.